Card marker



Jan. 30, 1951 B. STOCKFLETH 2,539,874

CARD MARKER Filed Jan. 28, 1947 I lEi J INVENTOR. Ha/yer .f/ark/Ve/fi Patented Jan. 30, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relates to means for designating selected indicia on a card or a sheet which is prepared in advance with zones or areas or codes so that various subsequently positioned marks or indications on the card will serve as representations of information of a selected kind. For example, it is customary business practice to provide a cardboard sheet having initially imprinted upon it a number of areas or zones each of which is provided in addition with a number of perforations arranged in a standard pattern. Subsequently, a punch is utilized to sever from the main body of the card in one or more of the zones means of especially designed detecting devices,

for example electrical or mechanical, further use is made of the recorded information. Under some circumstances it is difiicult and especially quite expensive to provide a severing die to be selectively'operated upon portions of the card and effective to cut or sever the selected portions from the card. This is particularly true when there are many zones or areas or code sections on an individual card or sheet. The complexity ofthe cutting and selecting dies becomes so great that the cost is prohibitive for many otherwise suitable operations.

It is ther fore an obiect of my invention to provide a card marker effective to remove selected portions of a card without the necessity of resorting to ex ensive cutting dies or comparable complex mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a card marker effective to remove or sever portions of a card.

An additional object of the invention is to provide means for selectively rendering effective card severing or segregating mechanism of a readily responsive nature.

An additional object of the invention is in general to improve card marking devices.

Other objects together with the foregoing are attained by the embodiment of the invention disclosed in the accompanying description and drawing in which Figure 1 is an isometric perspective in somewhat diagrammatic form of a card marker constructed'in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan showing a nor- 6 Claims. (Cl. 164--113) tion of a card in position on a portion of the marker.

In its preferred form, the card marker includes a base, preferably having a planar upper surface, substantially coincident with which is a plurality of electrically energized conductors arranged in accordance with the pattern of zones or codes on a card with which the mechanism operates. The various conductors or wires are connected in at least partially individual electrical energizing'circuits to a control mechanism preferably of the key operated sort so that under the control of an operator individual ones of the conductors or wires can be electrically energized to a temperature suflicient to burn the material of the card. In operation, a card is pressed into registry with the various heating elements and selected ones of them are energized so that in outline they burn through the material of the card thereby severing or segregating special code portions or zones thereof from the main bodyof the card so that there remains a card having a configuration indicative of certain impressed information.

While the card marker of my invention can readily be embodied in many forms, it is illustrated herein in its most important characteristics, certain relatively standard portions being omitted, and other portions being illustrated only insofar as is necessary to indicate them to one skilled in the art.

In this structure there is provided a base 6 preferably of metal having an insulating planar surface I thereon and also provided with a pair of guide pins 8 and 9 adapted to be received in suitable apertures I I and I2 in a card I3 to be marked-e The card i3 is generally rectangular, of paper stock and of any convenient size. On its face it is provided with imprinting I4 dividing the card into a number of code sections [6 or zones each of which in turn is pierced by a plurality of patterned perforations II. The elimination of a certain one or certain ones of the perforations records the desired coded information upon the card. This is usually accomplished by making V-shaped punches from the edge of the card in various patterns.

In the arrangement of my invention, the base 6 is provided, especially around the edge, with an array of electrically conducting wires, for example like the wires I8 and I9 that are repeated as often as necessary and are arranged substantially in the plane of the top surface of the base i to registerwith the various code sections or zones it particularly to outline the respective perforations H with a V-shaped pattern.

To hold the card [3 in thermal relationship with the various wires l8 and [9, there is provided a backing plate 2! having perforated ears 22 and 23 at opposite ends thereof to slide on guides 24 and 25 projecting upwardly from the base 6 so that after the card [3 is positioned over the guide posts 8 and S the backing plate 2! can bel-lowered againstthe card and 'will press it thenagainst the'elements i3 and iii. A suitable actuating structure 21 is illustrated diagram matically to represent a means for propelling the backing plate 2! toward and away from the base 6 by power and under the control of the operator.

Each of the wires 13 as well as .each of the wires I 9 is connected individually in its own electrical circuit. The circuits are diagrammatical-l represented by dash lines 28. The circuit coninectorsiextend .throughsa conduitit to a control box 3! supplied by a cable 32 with energy iromasuitablesource. .The control box Si is :provided with akeyboardtt or othersuitable circuit controlling .mechanism as well as a a ter key-34. ,By'depression-of various of the keys which thereuponare electrically energized and are thereby brought uptto'asufiiciently high temperature so that thepattern 'or outline of the particular conductors'is burned into and clear through the superposed'card 13 to sever or separate the outlined portion in the coded zone from "the'body of the card. In this fashion portions of the card are segregated or'removed.

With this mechanismwvhen a card of carbon izable or thermally severable material is appropriately positioned and when the'selecting "keys '33 are appropriatelyoperated, there results a mutilation or conditioning of the card in con-- nection'with the codes 01' zonesin such a way as "to record the desired "information. "accomplished without the use of relatively ex- :pens'ive cutting dies and "especially without the use of the customary "complex, expensive and :cumbersome selectingtmechanism for mechani- This is all cally moving the cutters. Also, the apparatus .is quick and efiective enough to be utilized with pards otmore than normal thickness or density :or'with a plurality of separate cards at once, either stacked or 'arranged'side by side.

I claim: .1. .QA. card marker .for use :withazoned or coded card comprising a plurality of electrically heated card-burning elements arranged according to the zones or codes of a card, means for holding a card in registered relationship with said elements, and manually controlled means for electrically energizing selected individual ones of said elements.

2. A card marker for use with a zoned or coded card comprising a plurality of card-burning ele- .mentslarranged to outline various-zones or codes of a card, means for holding acar'd inregistered relationship with said elements, and means for "selectively heating individual ones of said elements to sever portions of said card by burning the outlines thereof.

3. '-A card marker for use with a zoned or coded card comprising a plurality of electrically conducting wires arranged to outline various zones or codes'of a card, means for holding a card in thermal relationship with said wires, and means for electrically energizingselected individual'ones of said wirestotburn the outlines==of corresponding portions of said card.

4a. A card marker for use with' -azoned or coded card comprising a plurality ofelectricallyconducting wires arranged to outline various zones or codes of a card, means for electrically energizing selected ones of said wires to a card-burning temperature, and meansfOrpressing acard against said wires.

5. A card marker ioruse with a zoned or coded card comprising a planar base, a .plurality of electrically conducting wires arranged .substantially in the plane of said .base to outline various zones or codes of the card, means for electrically energizing selected ones of said wires to a cardburning temperature, and means forprcssing' the card against said wires.

6. A card marker for use'with a zoned or coded card comprising a base, a plurality of electrically conducting wires arranged on said base to outline various zones or codes of the card, means for connecting .each of said wiresin an individual electric circuit, .means 'for holding .a card in thermal relationship with said wires, and means for selectively energizingsaid individual electric circuits.

BERGER STO CKFLETH.

REFERENCES CITED The .followingreferences are of record. in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES -PATENTS Number Name Date 957,595 Barker May 10, 1910 1,795,564 Korge Mar. 10, 1931 

